Queency
The Sikkim High Court has expressed their concern over the lack of Hospital beds that are available in the state for the treatment of COVID positive patients.
The bench in a suo moto PIL, comprising of Justices Meenakshi Madan Rai and Bhaskar Raj Pradhan observed that “The beds identified for patients with Covid in the STNM Hospital and District Hospitals are evidently woefully low considering the number of persons who are reported to be infected by the virus on a daily basis vis-à-vis the population of the State.”
The bench observed that not only there is a lack of bed facilities in the state but also the ICU beds are presently not available in the district hospitals.
With lack of ambulances for COVID duty and no. of drivers engaged in existing ambulances, there is a lack of coordination amongst the hospitals which led to the loss of a 26 year old woman who was brought in an ambulance from Singtam on account of lack of ICU bed and lack of oxygen.
The court further observed that the arrangements for Grade III and Grade IV staff of hospitals are deficit and requires immediate attention considering their and their family’s well-being.
With the testing facility available only in 2 hospitals of the East district, the court observed that the Primary Health Centres and Sub Health Centres across the State in terms of emergency arrangements for patients with COVID have non-existent and no supplies of oxygen.
Finally the court observed that there exist immediate needs of increasing the testing centers along with creating awareness regarding the vaccine registration and protocol to be followed once a patient tests positive for the disease.
Lastly, the Additional Advocate General is asked to submit a report to the course of action that the State will follow considering the above shortcomings and by increasing frontline warriors in numbers.
The matter is listed for further hearing on 15th May.